Gearing device



July s, 1941.

I D. HINDAHL GEARING' DEVICE Fiied Ju'ne 3, 1940 INYENTOR.

Z7 ia?" Patented July 8, 1941 mama GEARING DEVICE David Hindahl,Chicago, IlL, assignor to Rodger Ballast Car Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Maine Application June 3, 1940, Serial No. 338,504

6 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in a gearing device and has for anobject to provide such a device which will be unitary including ahousing journalling a plurality of meshing gears and which gears will besuitably journalled by the housing and held against side movement so asto limit end thrusts.

In the drawing the improved gearing device is shown in connection withthe operating mechanism of railroad cars, more particularly ballastcars, having hopper doors for discharging lading centrally between therails of the track. The invention has general utility and the presentdisclosure is only one of the many applications of the invention,although the same has special utility in connection therewith. Thegearing can be readily mounted in operative position in the car, theconstruction of the same withthe input and output shafts is facilitated,and in general, the unitary nature of the present gearing device makesit possible to have the same manufactured separately, simplifying theshop work, and a supply kept on hand, requiring only assembly of theunit with the fabricated car.

Therefore a further object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for supporting and retaining in proper position the gearsof the operating mechanism of a ballast car and the like to afford aready means for mounting these gears in operative position which willdispense with numerous parts and operations.

Another object is to provide a unitary gearing device which can beincorporated as a unit in other structure and which will include atwopart housing member permitting access to or removal of the enclosedgears and having integral bearings providing journalling means for thegears and shoulders for limiting end thrusts.

With these and various other objects in View, the invention may consistof certain novel features of construction and operation as will be morefully described and particularly pointed out in the specification,drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention, andwherein like characters are used to designate like parts- Figure l is across sectional View taken through the body of a ballast car havinghopper doors and comprising one of the many constructions to which theunitary gearing device of the invention may be applied;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing thepresent unitary gearing device in associated relation with the centersill of the ballast car of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the housing member of thegearing device illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional View of the housing taken on line l:i of Figure2 with the gears removed;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, illustrating amodified form of unitary gearing device coming within the invention; and

Figure 6 is an end view, part being shown in elevation and part insection, of the device illustrated in Figure 5.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown in connectionwith ballast cars having hopper doors and which requires a shaftextending longitudinally of the car for actuating the doors. Theoperator, however, rotates a transverse shaft and accordingly it isnecessary to provide gearing between the transverse shaft and saidlongitudinal shaft. The gearing for accomplishing this function can beenclosed in a unitary housing in accordance with the invention, as willbe more particularly explained.

Referring to Figure 1, the ballast car H] has wheels II which support bymeans of the usual trucks and truck bolsters a center sill l2 extendingfrom one end of the car to the other. Extending upwardly from the centersill l2 at each end of the ear is an end slope sheet I 3 having endflanges suitably riveted to the side walls l4. Extending in a directioninwardly and downwardly are sloping side walls i5, each wall havingriveted thereto at intervals an angle member it which in turn is securedby the rivets IT to a cross tie it. The cross ties strengthen thesloping side walls l5 and centrally thereof they rest on the center silll2, having a portion cut out at this point to permit passage of thecenter sill hood 28, which extends over the top surface of the sill fromend to end thereof and directs lading to the respective sides.

One or more brackets 2| depend from the center sill, being suitablysecured thereto, and which brackets provide supports for the sheddingsurfaces 22 and journalling means 23 for the longitudinal shaft 24 whichfor convenience is square in cross section. The crank arms 25 and thelinks 26 operate the hopper doors 21, mounted for pivotal movement aboutaxes 28. In order that the operator may open and close the hopper doorsby rotating the longitudinal shaft 24 a transverse shaft 29 extends fromside to side of the car and is operatively connected with shaft 24 bygears, as best shown in Figures 2 and 5. I-Ieretofore various supportingmeans have been provided for the gears which required several operationsin assembling the parts and also complicated the task of removal forinspection or repair. The present invention greatly simplifies thisconstruction and also enables the car builder to incorporate gearmechanism into the car with a minimum of time and labor.

In the modification of Figures 2, 3 and 4 an enclosure is provided inthe form of a housing or casting having an upper part 30 and a lowersection 3!, their meeting edges including outwardly projecting flanges32, which may be connected together by bolts 33. The laterally extendingflange 34 on the upper part 30 enables the easting to be securelyfastened as by bolts 35 to the lower flanges of the center sill I2 whichlocates the upper part well within the center sill and securely holdsthe gearing device of the inven tion in assembled relation with thecenter sill. The longitudinal shaft 24 has engagement with worm wheel 38which is provided with a squared opening for receiving the shaft, thusuniting the parts in a non-rotating relation. The worm wheel has hubmembers 37, Figure 3, extending from either side thereof, which hubmembers extend through openings in the respective sides of the casingand are suitably journalled by semicircular bearings 38 provided by thelower section BI.

The worm 40, located in the upper part 30 of the casting, has meshingengagement with worm wheel 36 and for journalling the worm said upperpart 38 provides integral bearings fill, approximately semi-circular, orin more general terms, arcuate in contour and positioned above the hubs32. The integral shoulders t3 provided by said upper part 39 engage withthe face of its respective hub to thereby limit end movement of theworm. The square shaft 29 is passed through an opening also square incross section, extending through the worm 40 and by rotation of shaft29, which comprises the input shaft of the present device, it will beseen that rotation will be imparted to the woim wheel 3i: and thus theoutput shaft 24 at a substantial reduction in speed of rotation with acorresponding increase in power delivered.

It is relatively easy to assemble shaft 24 with its worm wheel 36 sincethe hubs iii of said worm wheel extend through openings in the castingand are flush with the side walls of the same. In a somewhat similarmanner the integral shoulders 53, provided by the upper part 30, formcircular openings id in this part of the casting through which shaft 29is passed for associating the same in non-rotating relation with theworm 58. With the casting in proper position within the center sill itwill be observed that the center sill has openings formed in its sidewall in alignment with openings 44 and through which the shaft 29 ispassed for operatively connecting the shaft with the worm 49 of thegearing device. With the gears in meshing relation the thrust on worm itis in an upward direction and on worm wheel 35 in a downward direction.Accordingly, the bearings for the gears respectively are so positionedas to take care of this thrust. Arcuate bearings ii are disposed abovethe hubs 42 of the worm ii], whereas, arcuate bearings 38 are below thehubs of the worm wheel. End play of the worm 4G is limited by theshoulders 43 and in a similar manner by the integral shoulders 39 forthe worm wheel 36.

In the modification of Figures 5 and 6 the enclosure for the gearing isin the form of a casting or frame member having two parts, although theupper part comprises the major portion of the unit. The said upper framesection I30 has laterally extending flanges I32, enabling the frame tobe securely fastened to the lower flanges of the center sill I2, thuslocating the upper portion of the frame well within the center sill andholding the same properly positioned with respect thereto. The outputshaft I24 has engagement with the worm wheel I36, the same having asquare opening for receiving the shaft. In this form of the inventionthe lower section of the frame comprises a bearing insert I38 suitablyheld in proper position on the upper frame section I30 by bolts I49. Thebearing insert provides a bearing of arcuate contour which is positionedon the upper frame section I30 so as to journal the hubs I31 of saidworm wheel. Also in this modification the hubs I31 are additionallyconfined by an upper bearing I50 provided by the upper frame member I30.

The worm Hill has meshing engagement with worm wheel I36 and asdescribed in connection with Figure 2 the said worm is provided withhubs I 42 which have contact with journalling means in the form ofbearings Hi, the same being located above the hubs I42 for the purposeof taking the thrust from the Worm, which will be in an upward directionowing to meshing engagement with the worm wheel I36. End movement of theworm I46 is also limited by the respective side walls of the upper framewhich form shoulders I43, each hub I42 extending substantially to itsrespective side wall and accordingly, end movement of the worm in thisdirection is prevented.

In this form of the invention, as in Figure 2, the gearing is held inmeshing relation by bearings formed integral with the frame member andthus the frame comprises a unit that can be easily applied to the centersill and removed, requiring very few operations. The gears aremaintained in proper relation with each other at all times and theassembly of the unit with an input and output shaft merely requires thatsaid shafts be inserted through the openings in the gears respectively.In manufacture of such a unit the worm is first inserted into the upperpart of the casting or frame against the bearings ii or I 4| whichproperly locates the hubs with respect to the openings in this part ofthe frame. The worm wheel is then associated with the lower section andsaid lower section applied and secured to the upper part. This forms aunitary structure wherein the gears are held in mesh without dependenceon the operating shafts.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction ofthe particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawing, as variousother forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scopeof the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gearing device, in combination, a frame member including atleast two sections forming a unitary article when connected, one sectionhaving aligned openings in opposite end walls and an approximatelysemi-circular bearing provided by said section adjacent each end openingand which are concentric with said openings, a worm journalled by saidsemi-circular bearings, said Worm having an axial opening therethroughto receive a shaft extending through the aligned openings fornon-rotatably connecting the shaft with the worm, said other sectionproviding approximately semi-circular bearings in opposite side wallsthereof and which form aligned openings with the first mentioned sectionwhen in connected relation therewith, said last mentioned alignedopenings coinciding with the bearin s provided by said other section,and a worm wheel journalled by the bearings of said other section andhaving hub portions extending through said aligned openings.

2. In a gearing device, in combination, a frame member including atleast two sections forming a unitary article when connected, one sectionhaving aligned openings in opposite end walls and an approximatelysemi-circular bearing provided by said section adjacent each end openingand which are concentric with the openings, a worm journalled by saidsemi-circular bearings, said worm having an axial opening therethroughto receive a shaft extending through the aligned openings fornon-rotatably connecting the shaft with the worm, said other sectionproviding approximately semi-circular hearings in opposite side wallsthereof and which form aligned openings with the first mentioned sectionwhen in connected relation therewith, said last mentioned alignedopenings coinciding with the bearings provided by said other section,and a Worm wheel journalled by the bearings of said other section andhaving hub portions extending through said aligned openings, thesemi-circular bearings of the sections respectively having their concavesurfaces directed toward each other.

3. In a gearing device, in combination, a frame member dividedhorizontally into upper and lower sections forming a unitary articlewhen connected, the upper section having aligned openings in oppositewalls thereof, an approximately semi-circular bearing adjacent the topportion of each opening and an end bearing surrounding each opening, aworm journalled by the semicircular bearings of the upper section andhaving engagement with the end bearings to limit endwise movementthereof, said lower section having approximately semi-circular bearingsin opposite side walls and which form openings with the upper section insubstantial alignment with said bearings when the lower section is inconnected relation with the upper section, a worm wheel having hubportions in bearing engagement with the semi-circular bearinjgs of thelower section, and shafts passing freely through the aligned openings ofsaid housing in operative engagement with the worm and worm wheelrespectively.

4. In a gearing device, a frame member divided horizontally into anupper and lower section forming a unitary article when connected, theupper section having aligned openings in OD- posite end walls thereof,an approximately semicircular bearing adjacent the top portion of eachopening and an end bearing surrounding each opening, a worm having hubportions journalled by the semi-circular bearings of the upper sectionand having engagement with the end bearings to limit endwise movement,said upper section also having aligned semi-circular openings inopposite side walls extending upwardly from the lower edge of thesection, the lower section having corresponding semi-circular openingsin its side Walls extending downwardly from the upper section thereof toform substantially circular openings when the sections are in connectedrelation, said lower section providing bearings coinciding with thesemi-circular openings in said section, and a worm wheel having. hubportions in bearing engagement with said hearings of the lower section.

5. In a gearing device, in combination, a frame member including atleast two sections forming a unitary article when connected, a pluralityof gears retained by said frame member in meshing relation, the uppersection of said frame member having aligned openings in opposite endwalls and said section also having an inwardly extending portionadjacent each end opening, said inwardly extending portions each providng a downwardly facing arcuate bearing concentrically disposed withrespect to the opening adjacent thereto and of a larger diameter thansaid opening, said other section providing upwardly facing arcuatebearing portions each forming an end opening with respect to the firstmentioned section when in connected relation with the lower edge of saidfirst mentioned section, the said end openings thus formed beingconcentrically disposed with respect to the arcuate bearing portion andsaid end openings being located in the opposed side walls of the framemember which form substantially right angles with the end walls.

6. In a gearing device, in combination, a frame member including atleast two sections forming a unitary article when connected, a pluralityof gears retained by said frame member in meshing relation, the uppersection of said frame member having aligned openings in opposite endwalls and said sections also having an inwardly extending portionadjacent each end opening, said inwardly extending portions eachproviding a shoulder and having formed integral therewith a downwardlyfacing arcuate bearing concentrically disposed with respect to the endopening adjacent thereto and of a larger diameter than said opening, andsaid other section providing upwardly facing arcuate bearing portionseach forming an end opening with the first mentioned section when inconnected relation with the lower edge of said first mentioned section,the said end openings thus formed being concentrically disposed withrespect to the arcuate bearing portions.

DAVID HINDAI-IL.

